By Shereen Siewert
One of three Wausau-area suspects arrested in a traffic stop that took more than 2,000 doses of methamphetamine off the street was sentenced to 18 months in prison, part of a plea agreement reached in Marathon County Circuit Court.
John A. Walker, 30, was convicted April 27 of possessing drug paraphernalia to manufacture, compound, convert, produce or store methamphetamine, with a repeat enhancer, and of charges of battery to prisoners. Circuit Judge Greg Strasser granted Walker 534 days credit for time served, which made Walker eligible for release one day after he was sent to prison. He will spend three years on extended supervision.
Another suspect in the case, 25-year-old Tianna Polo, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted Sept. 4 of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, as a repeat offender. A third suspect, 30-year-old Treg Leder, faces multiple drug charges in connection with the traffic stop.
The traffic stop resulted from a records check that showed the registered owner of the vehicle did not have a valid driver’s license. Police stopped the vehicle just before 11 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2019 on North 17th Avenue. Officers searched the vehicle after learning Leder had a warrant for his arrest and spotting a bag of suspected methamphetamine on the ground next to where Leder had been standing, according to the criminal complaint.
Inside the vehicle, police located multiple bags filled with drugs along with drug paraphernalia, five cell phones and $1,781 in cash, the complaint states. The total amount seized was more than 250 grams of methamphetamine, or about 1/4 kilo, a common. A typical dose is .10 grams, according to law enforcement officials.
Drug enforcement officials say a 1/4 kilo is a typical size that a dealer would purchase to get a good price break to maximize profits while trafficking the drugs.
Leder, whose case has not yet concluded, was initially ordered held on a $75,000 bond, the first $25,000 to be paid in cash. But in October, Leder’s attorney successfully petitioned Judge Strasser to reduce the bond amount to $50,000 with the first $2,500 paid in cash. Court records show Leder posted bond on Nov. 5. He remains free while awaiting trial, with a pretrial conference date set for May 26.
